Start a Club

It’s easy to start a new club in your local area and give youth opportunities to learn and grow. Clubs are youth driven and have caring adult volunteer mentors! A 4-H Club consists of 2 unrelated adult volunteers that are National Background checked and go through the online training modules, 5 children age 5-18 that meet at least 6 times during the year.

Top 5 Reasons to Start a 4-H Club

1. University National System2. Endless Opportunities3. We Are Flexible4. Affordable5. Rewarding
4-H is in every state, with professional staff, & resource sharing across the nation. Clubs can start up locally and be community driven. Youth pick what they want to learn about and for how long. They master skills while having hands on fun.The club meetings are scheduled by the volunteers and members for what fits their schedule.
You can create a unique club experience.		There is currently no fee to join RI 4-H. Some clubs may have dues to help with project costs the kids choose. Earn recognition, make lifelong friends, learn skills for your resume and make memories. The club system also creates a culture of belonging, community engagement.
clover

Step 1:

The first step is to have 2 unrelated adults sign up in zsuite.org and upload their National Background Check (you can do this through a link in Zsuite, if you don’t already have one from the last 3 years).

Zsuite 4-H enrollment system

Step 2:

The two main adult volunteers need to complete the 4-H Online Volunteer Training. This follows the 4-H club Volunteer Manual, which will help you become familiar with youth development, the policies of URI 4-H and help you start your club.

Online Training

Step 3:

Talk to a 4-H staff member, fill out a new club application form, decide on a club name and advertise to families to join. Once we have the new club application we can setup up the club in Zsuite, so other youth and adult volunteers can enroll in your club!

New Club Application
Students taking oath

Step 4:

Start meeting. Most clubs meet once a month. The requirement to stay active is only 6 times a year. Some choose to meet during the school year, while others only meet in the summer. It’s up to the volunteers and youth to decide what works best for them. We have lots of educational resources to help you with lesson plans and to help with organizing your club and understanding policies.

Club Resources
Kayaking

Educational Resources

The URI 4-H Program is a part of the national Cooperative Extension system, as such, we have a lot of educational materials for clubs to use. We even have a lending libary of books, kits and equipment. To support 4-H club work, youth and adults can attend events put on by the State 4-H Office to further their educational goals.

Educational Resources